Pneumatic shock-absorber.



L. S. PACE & J. P. OSBORNE.

PNEUMATIC SHOCK ABSORBER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.9, 1912.

1,069,574, Patentexi Aug.5, 1913.

Z j 23 2 21 @Z J9 i 16 J3 unTTnn STATES PATENT ornicn.

LOUIS s. PAGE AND JOSEPH F. osnoruvn, or IRONATON, ALABAMA.

PNEUMATIC SHOCK-ABSORBER.

Specification of Letters Patent...

PatentedAug.5,1913.

vis provided to take up the shocks and jars received by the chassis or running ear.

One of the principal aims of this invention is to provide a pneumatic shock ab-.

sorber wherein springs, check and regulating valves will be eliminated, and the numher of relatively moving parts reduced to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is to pro.-

vide a pneumatic shock absorber which will automatically respond to all road conditions,

the degree of relative movement between the parts increasing as shocks and jars to the vehicle become more violent and diminishing' as they-diminish.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a pneumatic shock absorber wherein the compression of the air forming the cushion which absorbs the jolts and jars .of the chassis or running'gear will be" gradual, and the air forming the cushion released at exactly the proper instant.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a shock absorber wherein the force supporting the body of the vehicle will lie always along the central axis of the absorber, preventing therebyany binding between the relatively moving parts and an concentrated friction therebetween.

. A still further object of the invention is to provide a shock absorber which will be exceedingly simple andefficient in operation,

and cheap to manufacture. 1

Additional ob'ects and advantages of the invention willbe'apparent as it is better understood from the following description which, taken-in connection with the accompanying drawing, illustrates two preferred embodiments thereof.

On the drawing :F igure 1 is a central .vertical sectional view of a shock absorber made in pursuance ofour invention, Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectlo'nal view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 1s a partial bodying various features thereof in operative position upon a vehicle, the shock-receiving member 10 being secured by means of the clamp 11 to the axlel2' oftheve'hiele, and the protected member 13 .to its body 14 by means of the clamp 11'.f The shock ab' sorber consists primarily of-a cylinder 15, a supporting or piston-rod 16 and a piston 17.

The cylinder 15 has a permanent closure 18 at one end which is preferably, as shown on the-drawings, formed integrally with the side walls of the cylinder. The other'end -19 of the cylinder is threaded to receive a cap or hermetic closure 21- having a central aperture through which the piston-rod 16 is ada ted to reciprocate. A stufling-box 22 provi ed with suitable packing 23 and held in place by the gland 2 f prevents the leakage of air through the cap or "closure 2l the sides of the cylinder 15 are provided two sets of air ports 25 and 26, arranged in parallel planes perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder and preferably at equal distances from its center.

The piston 17, which is mounted to reciprocate with-in the cylinder, is provided with a pair of packing rings 27 which are adapted to form an air-tight closure between the cylindrical side of the pistonand the inner surface of the wall of the cylinder.

About the cylindrical wall of the piston and 7 intermediate the edges thereof the surface of the piston is cut' away to-provide an air chamber 30 extending between the lateral side of the piston and the wall of the cylinder. VVit-hin the iston is provided a spherical recess 28 w ich communicates by means of a plurality of passageways 29 with the air space surrounding the piston. Extending downwardly from thereeess 28 and communicating with the air chamber beneat-h the piston is a cylinder passageway 31,whose use will be hereinafter described. An end 33 of the piston-rod 16 is normally disposed in the recess 28, and to this end an aperture 32'is provided-in line with and above the aperture 31. The aperture 32 is substantially larger than theportron of the piston-rod adjacent the end 33,-wh1ch is disposed in the recess 28 in order that an anthreaded engagement with each other as shown in Fig. 1. The end 33 of the pistonrod is enlarged, and is shaped to engage the walls of the recess 28 adjacent the apertures 31 and 32, closing the said apertures, .and

permitting the piston-rod. to act as a valve forthe alternate closing of these ports. The edgesof the piston 36 which are in contact with the side walls should be of sufficient width and spaced apart a sufiicient distance to permit them to cover the ports 25 and 26 whenthe parts are in central position.

In order that the weight carried by the absorber shall always lie along its central longitudinal axis we provide a ball and socket joint 37 connecting the clamp 11 with the cylinder 15, and a similar connection 37 between the upper end of the piston-rod 16 and the clamp 11.

In Fig. 3a piston-rod 41 is provided with a cylindrical-head which fits in a similarly shaped but somewhat larger recess 42 in the piston 43. Except for this difference the two embodiments of the invention are identical, and it is not thought that Fig. 3 need be further described. This difference does not produce any diflerence in the operation of the two embodiments, and a description of the operation of the shock absorber shown in Figs. 1 and'2 will with equal accuracy describe the operation in the embodiment shown in Fig. 3. This operation is as follows :When the axle 12 receives a jar the cylinder 15 will be moved suddenly up-- wardly, the Weight carried by the piston moving it relatively to the cylinder a de gree proportionate to the violence of the shock sustained by the axle. This movement Will out off communicationbetween the passageway 31 and the recess 30 and establish communication between the passageway 32 and this recess, thereby tem orarily hermetically sealing the air space eneath the piston. -As the piston moves down both sets of ports 25 and 26 are thrown into communicationwith the air :space above the piston, the ports 25 by the passageway 29 and 32 and the ports .26 by being directly connected thereto at the edges of the piston uncover these ports. neath the piston thus forms an elastic air cushion which absorbs the shock received by the axle 12. The elasticity of the air and the springs of the vehiclenow move the piston-rod upwardly within the cylinder,"

' before movement of the The air trapped be:

ing the piston. lVhen the movement of the piston-rod has carried the piston upwardly until theports 26 are closed an air cushion is formed above the piston to prevent jars or shocks resulting from the rebound.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing without further explanation,and it is apparent that various changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention orsacrificing any of its advantages, the forms hereinbefore disclosed being merely preferred embodiments thereof.

We claim 1. Ashock absorber comprising a cylinder having an air port in its side, a piston mounted within the cylinder and adapted to form an air cushion in either end of the cylinder, said piston being provided with means for establishing communication between anend of thecylinder and the said air port before the piston uncovers thesaid port to said air cushion.

2. A shock absorber comprising a' cylinder, a piston mounted in said cylinder adapted to form an air cushion in either end thereof and provided with a piston rod disposed through an end of the cylinder and with means for establishing communication between said air cushion and the external air piston after forming the said air cushion. I

3. A-shock absorber comprising a cylinder having air ports in its side at different distances from an end thereof, a piston movable in said cylinder and adapted to form an air cushion in an end thereof, said piston being provided with means for successively establishing communication between the said air ports and the said air cushion before the piston uncovers said ports upon its return movement.

4. A shock absorber comprising a cylinder having air ports. in its side at ditl'erent distances from an end thereof, and a piston mounted within the cylinder adapted to form an air cushion in an end thereof; said piston being provided with means for simultaneously establishing communication between the said air ports and the other end of the cylinder upon its forward movement.

5. A shock absorber-comprising a cylinder havin a plura-lityof airports in its side at di erent distances from an end thereof,

a piston provided with intersectin passage. at the interways, and means disposed section of said passageways for closing the same to provide an air cushion in one end of the cylinder upon movement of the piston and simultaneously establish communication between the other end and said air ports.

6. A shock absorber comprising a cylinder having a plurality of air ports in its side at different distances from an end thereof, a piston disposed in the said cylinder having passageways disposed therethrough, means mounted in the said passageways for closing the same from an end of the cylinder to form an air cushion therein when the piston is moved toward {the said end and to simultaneously establish communication between the said air ports and the other end of said cylinder, said means being adapted to establish communication between the said air cushion and the said air ports upon return movement of the said piston before the said piston uncovers the said ports.

7. A shock absorber comprising a cylinder having a plurality of air ports in its side and at different distances from an end thereof, a piston disposed in said cylinder having passagewaysdisposed therethrough, a piston, a piston'rod, means mounted in the said passageways for closing the same from an end of the cylinder to form an air/cushion therein when the piston is moved toward the said end and to simultaneously establish communication between the said air ports and the other end of said cylinder, said means being adapted to establish communication between the said air cushion and the said air ports upon return movement of the said piston before the said piston uncovers the said ports.

8. A shock absorber comprising a cvlinder having a plurality of air ports in its side and at different distances from an end thereof, a piston disposed in said cylinder having passageways disposed therethrough, a piston rod, means mounted in the said passageways and operable by the said piston rod for closing the same from an end of the cylinder to form an air cushion therein when the piston is moved toward the said end and to simultaneously establish communication between the said air ports and the other end of said cylinder, said means being adapted to establish communication between the said air cushion and the said air ports upon return movement of the said niston before the said piston'uncovers the said ports.

9. A shock absorber comprising a cylinder hermetically sealed at its ends and having a pair of air ports in its side at differentdistances from one of its ends, a reciprocatory rod disposed through one end of the said cylinder, a iston .normally closing both 'of said air ports and having a passageway adapted to establish communication between an end of the cylinder and the air port farthest therefrom, and connections between the said piston and rod for moving the said piston away from the said end of the cylinder and simultaneously establishing communication between both air ports and the said end of the cylinder.

' 10. A shock absorber comprising a cylinder hermetically sealed at its-ends and having a pair of air ports in its side and at different distances from one of its ends, a piston mounted within the cylinder normally closing both air ports and provided with a passageway adaptedto establish communication between either end of the piston and either air port, arecipro'catory rod disposed through an end of the cylinder and having its ends disposed in the said passageway and adapted to establish communication between one end of the cylinder and the air port farthest removed therefrom when the piston moves toward the other end of the cylinder. n

11. A shock absorber comprising a cylinder hermetically sealed at its ends and having a pair of air ports in its side and at different distances from one of its ends, a piston normally closing both air ports provided with passageways communicating with both ends of the cylinder and with the side of the piston adjacent the air ports, said pas-.

sageways intersecting at the center of the piston, a reciprocatory rod disposed through an end of the cylinder and having a head disposed in the said passageway communieating with the ends of the cylinder to establish communication between an end of the cylinder and the port farthest therefrom when the piston moves toward the other end of the saidcylinder. I

12. A shock absorber comprising a cylinder hermetically sealed at its ends and havin a pair of air ports in its side and at (11%818I1t distances from one of its ends, a piston normally closing both air ports provided with a recess at its center and having passageways leading from the said recess to both ends of the cylinder and to the side of the piston adjacent the air port, a reciprocatory rod disposed through an end of the cylinder and having a head disposed in the said recess adapted to form .a valve for controlling the passage of air through the passageways communicating with the ends of the cylinder and adapted to establish communication between an end of the cylinder and theport farthest therefrom when the pistonmoves toward the other end ofthe cylinder. 4

LOUIS S. PACE. JOSEPH F. OSBORNE. Witnesses:

BRYCE H. KELLEY, CHAS. R. DENT. 

